2010 in music was a disaster. Very few diamonds came up in all the rough this year. Soon, the Grammy's will be on... pimping their usual brand of glitzy bullshit and one-trick ponies whose names you won't remember four years from now. It's sad watching the recording industry cling so desperately to it's antiquated business model, frowning on most anything revolutionary and embracing the same old teen angst and bubble gum cliches. I guess that's just the way it goes.
I am a genius in every sense of the word. This list should be your list, disagreeing with me is pointless. Go listen to these albums and then thank me for telling you to.
10. John Legend and The Roots - Wake Up
Do you like Motown? You'll like this album. It lags in a few places but, overall, is worth the listen.
9. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
There's really nothing new going on with this album, just pure Deftones greatness. I've come to respect that the Deftones (much like AC/DC) haven't changed their style, they just stick to doing what they do best... I used to hate bands for being that way, maybe I'm groing up?
8. Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives
Excellence in hip hop, Nas and Jr. Gong make a great team, they flow into and out of each other seamlessly. A must listen.
7. Karnivool - Sound Awake
I was turned on to this Australian band earlier this year by a friend, and I am grateful for it. Most people I've played these guys for say it reminds them of Tool. I can hear that, but it makes me think more of The Mars Volta. If you like well thought-out rock/metal with melodic (no-screamy) vocals, definitely get your hands on this album.
6. Mogwai - Special Moves (Live)
I love Mogwai. To me, they are the quintessential post-modern rock band. This live release is wonderful and captures their essence beautifully.
5. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
A great album, start to finish. My choice for the Grammy Album of the Year. Not because I really think it is the best album of the year, but when put up against Lady Antebellum, Eminem (really? I wanted to like Recovery but I'm so sick of the same thing over and over, lyrically and from a production standpoint) and Katy Perry (I don't think this needs an explanation, Teenage Daydream for album of the year? Could the Grammy's make their cash-profit motive a little more obvious? I think not).
4. Clint Mansell - Black Swan (Soundtrack)
As of writing this, I have yet to see the film. This soundtrack is intelligent, moving, disturbing and oddly beautiful (as I am sure the film is, Aronofsky is the man!). It's hard to believe that the former Pop Will Eat Itself front man has produced so many beautiful film scores, but there you have it.
3. The Black Keys - Brothers
I don't think there's a lot to say about this album. It's very good and I put it at number three, though I'm wondering if I should have put number four in this slot.
2. The Roots - How I Got Over
Easily the best hip hop record of the year. The Roots know how to do it and, honestly, I'm surprised this album didn't really get any attention.
1. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network (Soundtrack)
I could (and do) listen to this album over and over again. Done much in the vein of Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts album, this ambient/pseudo-techno/industrial score is thoroughly enjoyable and has a high relistenability rating as far as I'm concerned... and, as I stated in the title of this post, my opinion is really the only one that matters.
Honorable Mentions
Tom Caruana - Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers (Wu-Tang Clan vs. The Beatles)
It's no Danger Mouse's Grey Album, but Wu-Tang fans will enjoy this work.
Jonsi - Go
Jonsi gets a mention, though I say it with a frown... this guy just isn't the same outside of Sigur Ros. Much like Thom Yorke's solo work, something just seems to be missing.
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Good work, could have been better. Death Of Autotune makes it a worthwhile listen.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Irreversible (France, 2002)
At the premier of Irreversible at the Cannes Film Festival, 200 of 2,400 audience members walked out... and that is considered a compliment by director Gaspar Noe. For the first 30 minutes of the film, do you not only get to enjoy some motion sickness-inducing camera work but, also, the background noise is a frequency of 28Hz. While the frequency of 28Hz is barely audible to the human ear, it is linked with causing nausea and vertigo in human beings. The feeling of watching a film that is drunk with bed spins ebbs and flows throughout the entire film, never quite leaving, but certainly calming down and stopping well enough to allow the viewer to take in the story here.
The end of this film is definitely NOT for epileptics. If you are affected at any degree whatsoever by strobing lights, stay away. I'm not even joking in the least bit, if you can't handle strobes, are prone to motion sickness, like light-hearted romantic comedies, want your mommy, and don't like being visually punished by a film... stay away.
The most striking thing about this film for me isn't what it is notorious for (a 9-minute single shot anal rape scene), rather for what it does the whole film through. Nearly every scene in this film is single shot. This approach can make you forget that you are watching a movie (the subtitles seem like saviors from time to time, reminding you that it's a film). For instance; if you have not seen this film, but you read about it, then you all ready know about the notorious rape scene. Thing is, knowing that it's there doesn't the soften the blow. The camera spends a good 9 minutes stationary, causing you to get completely lost in the scene, so that when it finally moves you almost jump.
Wonderful acting, interesting direction, and the more you learn about the film (watch it first, then check out the trivia section over at imdb), the more impressive it seems. I liked this film a great deal, mostly for it's artistic merit. I don't know if the word "recommend" is suitable here, but it is certainly a film worth watching, a film you will never forget.
The end of this film is definitely NOT for epileptics. If you are affected at any degree whatsoever by strobing lights, stay away. I'm not even joking in the least bit, if you can't handle strobes, are prone to motion sickness, like light-hearted romantic comedies, want your mommy, and don't like being visually punished by a film... stay away.
The most striking thing about this film for me isn't what it is notorious for (a 9-minute single shot anal rape scene), rather for what it does the whole film through. Nearly every scene in this film is single shot. This approach can make you forget that you are watching a movie (the subtitles seem like saviors from time to time, reminding you that it's a film). For instance; if you have not seen this film, but you read about it, then you all ready know about the notorious rape scene. Thing is, knowing that it's there doesn't the soften the blow. The camera spends a good 9 minutes stationary, causing you to get completely lost in the scene, so that when it finally moves you almost jump.
Wonderful acting, interesting direction, and the more you learn about the film (watch it first, then check out the trivia section over at imdb), the more impressive it seems. I liked this film a great deal, mostly for it's artistic merit. I don't know if the word "recommend" is suitable here, but it is certainly a film worth watching, a film you will never forget.
Monday, September 20, 2010
So I'm Thinking I Should Watch More Takashi Miike Films.
Just today, I finished watching my second film by Japanese filmmaker, Takashi Miike. "Imprint" is the film I finished today. At one hour in length, there's no good reason for a horror fan to not watch this film. It doesn't require a serious investment of time. Is the acting bad? Yes (particularly that of the one American actor in the film).
Is the story any good? Yes, and that's why I would recommend this film. I'd also recommend it because anything that a company commissions, receives, and then decides to essentially ban... must be worth watching. Showtime commissioned Miike to make this film for their "Masters of Horror" series, which touts itself as being an artistic outlet for filmmakers to produce work without butting in and taking over artistic control. In Showtime's defense, while they did ban it from cable television, they did release it on DVD and it is currently available for streaming on Netflix (I watched it on my iPhone, thanks for getting around to that Netflix).
Be aware that the so-called "torture-porn" scenes in this film are not for the squeamish. I'm recently learning that many of Miike's fans watch his films simply for these scenes, which I think is kind of sad. If you really want to watch something just to see if you can bare it, I understand Irreversible features a 9-minute long, single continuous shot rape scene. I'm just saying this because this film (as well as the one I yammer about after this) does have a moral to it.
Audition. Some people love this film, some people hate it. If you're put off by subtitles, go back to your cheesy action movies and don't dabble in foreign films... the rest of the world doesn't have to cater to you, whitey! If you're put off by disturbing imagery, go stare at whatever Pixar movie you're watching again (for the bazillionth time) and discontinue reading this. If you want a well made film with beautiful cinematography and a solid story that doesn't feel the need to rush itself, then this is a film for you. Oh yeah, at about an hour in, this film decides to do something that I don't think very many filmmakers could get away with. Nice job on Dusk til Dawn, Quentin... Shyamalan, no one cares about your cheesy fucking twists... let a real filmmaker show you how it's done.
Rob Zombie has called this "the only film that really gave me the creeps" and it is obvious why. Audition doesn't go for any of the standard horror conventions and, in the end, it's not even the gore that gets you. In fact, the gore is minimal. It's what Audition does as a film that shakes you up. Okay, if you haven't watched this and are planning to watch it, stop reading this now and come back later when you're done. Then you can gleefully tell me what a moron I am for having enjoyed this film so much.
The thing that I think makes this film so interesting, aside from the complete genre-change that happens midway through the film, is the plethora of possibilities that the end of the film could be. Is Asami all of woman kind punishing Aoyama (all of man kind) for countless ages of objectification? Is Asami his conscience, burdening Aoyama with the guilt of a widower who has finally learned to love again, but still can not let go of his past? The possibilities seem endless.
I liked just about everything about this film. The characters are easy to relate to. Nearly every horror in this film could be seen as a metaphor for a deeper social issue. I must say, though, that the craft put into the cinematography, the actual visual, of this film are excellent. Well placed wide shots, warm tones, continuity with setting changes. And the iconic imagery of Asami in her leather apron with that piano wire, the tongueless legless man who dines on Asami's purge. *Quick note: Eihi Shiina claims that the vomit in the dog bowl was hers, she is a method actor.
Anyway. Blah, blah, blah. I liked this film and plan on checking out more of Takashi Miike's work. Next up will probably be Old Boy and then Ichi the Killer. Either way, there's a lot of his stuff to watch, the guy pumps out 13 films a year... now that's fucking prolific!
Is the story any good? Yes, and that's why I would recommend this film. I'd also recommend it because anything that a company commissions, receives, and then decides to essentially ban... must be worth watching. Showtime commissioned Miike to make this film for their "Masters of Horror" series, which touts itself as being an artistic outlet for filmmakers to produce work without butting in and taking over artistic control. In Showtime's defense, while they did ban it from cable television, they did release it on DVD and it is currently available for streaming on Netflix (I watched it on my iPhone, thanks for getting around to that Netflix).
Be aware that the so-called "torture-porn" scenes in this film are not for the squeamish. I'm recently learning that many of Miike's fans watch his films simply for these scenes, which I think is kind of sad. If you really want to watch something just to see if you can bare it, I understand Irreversible features a 9-minute long, single continuous shot rape scene. I'm just saying this because this film (as well as the one I yammer about after this) does have a moral to it.
Audition. Some people love this film, some people hate it. If you're put off by subtitles, go back to your cheesy action movies and don't dabble in foreign films... the rest of the world doesn't have to cater to you, whitey! If you're put off by disturbing imagery, go stare at whatever Pixar movie you're watching again (for the bazillionth time) and discontinue reading this. If you want a well made film with beautiful cinematography and a solid story that doesn't feel the need to rush itself, then this is a film for you. Oh yeah, at about an hour in, this film decides to do something that I don't think very many filmmakers could get away with. Nice job on Dusk til Dawn, Quentin... Shyamalan, no one cares about your cheesy fucking twists... let a real filmmaker show you how it's done.
Rob Zombie has called this "the only film that really gave me the creeps" and it is obvious why. Audition doesn't go for any of the standard horror conventions and, in the end, it's not even the gore that gets you. In fact, the gore is minimal. It's what Audition does as a film that shakes you up. Okay, if you haven't watched this and are planning to watch it, stop reading this now and come back later when you're done. Then you can gleefully tell me what a moron I am for having enjoyed this film so much.
The thing that I think makes this film so interesting, aside from the complete genre-change that happens midway through the film, is the plethora of possibilities that the end of the film could be. Is Asami all of woman kind punishing Aoyama (all of man kind) for countless ages of objectification? Is Asami his conscience, burdening Aoyama with the guilt of a widower who has finally learned to love again, but still can not let go of his past? The possibilities seem endless.
I liked just about everything about this film. The characters are easy to relate to. Nearly every horror in this film could be seen as a metaphor for a deeper social issue. I must say, though, that the craft put into the cinematography, the actual visual, of this film are excellent. Well placed wide shots, warm tones, continuity with setting changes. And the iconic imagery of Asami in her leather apron with that piano wire, the tongueless legless man who dines on Asami's purge. *Quick note: Eihi Shiina claims that the vomit in the dog bowl was hers, she is a method actor.
Anyway. Blah, blah, blah. I liked this film and plan on checking out more of Takashi Miike's work. Next up will probably be Old Boy and then Ichi the Killer. Either way, there's a lot of his stuff to watch, the guy pumps out 13 films a year... now that's fucking prolific!
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